1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an object display technology, and it particularly relates to method, apparatus, and system for displaying an object such as a billboard and a message board in a virtual world that is provided by a server on a designated network such as the Internet. The present invention also relates to method for setting a land value and an advertisement fee in the virtual world.
2. Description of the Related Art
Today, virtual world systems are being used in which the server, which is connected to a designated network like the Internet, provide the virtual world. In such systems, the players explore the virtual world by controlling their favorite characters or communicate with one another through their characters.
In a virtual world, which is provided by such a virtual world system, objects such as billboards and message boards are often displayed, on which sponsors advertise their enterprises and merchandise to the players who visit the virtual world, or through these the system administrator of the virtual world informs players of important information and such.
Such objects as billboards and message boards are meaningless unless the players see them. Therefore, they tend to be displayed in the area where the players' characters gather, for example, in the central area of town or along the main street in the virtual world. In this way, many players will see the displayed billboards and message boards. As a result, it is possible to attain significant advertising impact for an enterprise or merchandise, or to have many players view important information, etc.
However, since the action pattern of a player's character in the virtual world varies, not all the players' characters necessarily gather in the central area or places where the level of human traffic is higher. Therefore, displaying objects like a billboard only in the central area of town or places where the level of human traffic is higher is not enough to show an advertisement of an enterprise or merchandise, or send the important information to every player.
As described above, it is important to have as many players as possible see the important information or the like, and consequently many billboards and message boards tend to be displayed in close proximity to one another in the central area of town and in places where the level of human traffic is higher. In such a condition, if, for example, the server in charge of managing the virtual world has displayed important information such as maintenance related information in a busy area, the message board, on which such important information is displayed, might be lost among the clutter of so many other billboards and message boards, and become barely recognizable to the players. Consequently, players may be inconvenienced because they failed to see some important information.
To prevent this kind of problem from occurring, setting up a separate display area in the virtual world, which is irrelevant to the landscape and streetscape, to display important information may be considered. By displaying important information using this method, it is possible to have the players easily recognize the important information, etc. even in areas where there are numerous billboards and message boards in close proximity to one another. However, such a method of displaying important information might reduce the area available for landscapes and streetscapes in the virtual world, and negatively impact the image of the virtual world.
In addition, just as in the real world, when a user has an object displayed in the virtual world, for example, such as having a store in the virtual world, the system administrator will levy a fee. The fee is calculated based on the land value which is determined by taking into account the level of human traffic and convenience, etc.: a higher land value will be set for areas which for example are in the vicinity of a station or busy shopping area and a lower land value will be set for suburbs. However, the places users visit vary by their hobbies and tastes. Therefore, if land values are determined only by taking into account the level of human traffic and convenience, inappropriate land values will be determined in the virtual world which do not accurately reflect the sense of land value perceived by each individual player. This is certainly not the ideal means to do this.
Further, just as in the real world, when an advertiser has an object like a billboard installed in the virtual world to display an advertisement, the system administrator will determine the advertisement fee by taking into account the possible number of users who might see the advertisement: a higher advertisement fee will be set for areas where the level of human traffic is higher such as in the vicinity of a station or busy shopping area. However, the area in the virtual world where many users may gather will fluctuate according to the hobbies and tastes of the users, or the buildings constructed and types of stores located. Therefore, if advertisement fees are determined only by using a fixed method such as setting a higher advertisement fee for the areas where the level of human traffic is higher, they will not adequately correspond to the fluctuation of the condition in the virtual world. As a result, an advertiser might be charged an inappropriate advertisement fee, which is also not ideal.